Aggressive Defense Makes Shula's Day

MIAMI — All you need to know about the Miami Dolphins' defense Sunday was that fair-haired safety Bud Brown left the locker room doing an impersonation of Clint Eastwood.

The Dolphins' surprisingly aggressive defense certainly made Coach Don Shula's day. It helped instead of hindered Miami's 21-17 victory over the New York Jets Sunday in a must-win game at the Orange Bowl.

''Our defense made a lot of big plays early,'' Shula said. ''They didn't let Freeman McNeil run wild, and they put a lot of pressure on the quarterback.''

You know a defense has been struggling when it gives up 491 yards and the coach still tosses bouquets of praise. It was hard to tell at times whether the Dolphins were forcing the Jets into violating Amos Alonzo Stagg's fundamental rules of football or if the Jets were just plain sloppy.

It was probably a lot of both. The AFC East-leading Jets lost two of five fumbles and were penalized 13 times for 81 yards.

Miami looked like it was up to its old tricks when Jets quarterback Kevin O'Brien drove New York 80 yards in just eight plays for a 17-14 lead with 1:06 left. But then Dan Marino threw to Mark Duper for a 50-yard touchdown pass to give Miami the lead with 41 seconds left.

Brown then led a band of Dolphins to break up the Jets' last-ditch try in the end zone with 5 seconds left.

But what the Dolphins' defense did to win it was slow McNeil, who has been a pain in their secondary for years. McNeil still rushed for 107 yards, but it took him 26 tough carries. In their first meeting this season, McNeil, the AFC's leading rusher, practically beat Miami by himself with 178 yards.

The Dolphins, ranked 24th against the run, changed tactics this time.

''In the first game, we were trying to read the blockers and then get to McNeil,'' defensive end Doug Betters said. ''This time we just went flying in there, trying to get penetration.''

The linebackers did not overpursue McNeil, either. In the past, charged up defenders have usually been rendered helpless, grabbing at air when McNeil cuts back and flies by.

''We also wanted to get a lot of people in his area,'' linebacker Jay Brophy said. ''We wanted to avoid anybody taking him one-on-one. He didn't get a lot in big bunches.

''We played with a lot of emotion tonight. We were aggressive . . . a lot more than the last time. We heard what people were saying about our defense, and most of it was probably justified.